When you have heart failure (sometimes called congestive heart failure), your heart doesn't pump as well as it should. This means some parts of your body don't get enough blood and oxygen. Heart failure can make it harder for you to do things that used to be easy. But you and your health-care provider can help your heart.

How does heart failure feel?

Here are some of the most common symptoms of heart failure. Remember that  you may experience many of these symptoms, or only a few:

• Shortness of breath, wheezing or coughing when you exert yourself
• Weakness or tiredness with little effort
• Problems breathing when you're lying flat, or the need to sleep in a recliner or propped on many pillows
• Waking up at night coughing or short of breath
• Rapid weight gain
• Swelling in the abdomen, ankles or feet
• Confusion or trouble concentrating
• A racing or skipping heart
• Dizziness or fainting

To learn more about cardiac services at Western Baptist Hospital, including the new Baptist Heart Center, phone Baptist Health Line at (270) 575-2918. If you are experiencing chest pain, speak to one of our cardiac nurses at the Chest Pain Hotline, 1-800-575-1911.